The Gates of Paradise

A soldier named Nobushige came to Hakuin, and asked: "Is there really a paradise and a hell?"

"Who are you?" inquired Hakuin.

"I am a samurai," the warrior replied.

"You, a soldier!" exclaimed Hakuin. "What kind of ruler would have you as his guard? Your face looks like that of a beggar."

Nobushige became so angry that he began to draw his sword, but Hakuin continued: "So you have a sword! Your weapon is probably much too dull to cut off my head."

As Nobushige drew his sword Hakuin remarked: "Here open the gates of hell!"

At these words the samurai, perceiving the master's discipline, sheathed his sword and bowed.

"Here open the gates of paradise," said Hakuin.

Calling Card

Keichu, the great Zen teacher of the Meiji era, was the head of Tofuku, a cathedral in Kyoto. One day the governor of Kyoto called upon him for the first time.

His attendant presented the card of the governor, which read: Kitagaki, Governor of Kyoto.

"I have no business with such a fellow," said Keichu to his attendant. "Tell him to get out of here."

The attendant carried the card back with apologies. "That was my error," said the governor, and with a pencil he scratched out the words Governor of Kyoto. "Ask your teacher again."

"Oh, is that Kitagaki?" exclaimed the teacher when he saw the card. "I want to see that fellow."

The Moon Cannot Be Stolen

Ryokan, a Zen master, lived the simplest kind of life in a little hut at the foot of a mountain. One evening a thief visited the hut only to discover there was nothing to steal.

Ryokan returned and caught him. "You have come a long way to visit me," he told the prowler, "and you should not return empty-handed. Please take my clothes as a gift."

The thief was bewildered. He took the clothes and slunk away.

Ryoken sat naked, watching the moon. "Poor fellow," he mused, "I wish I could have given him this beautiful moon."

Is That So?

The Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbours as one living a pure life.

A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she was with child.

This made her parents angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last named Hakuin.

In great anger the parent went to the master. "Is that so?" was all he would say.

After the child was born it was brought to Hakuin. By this time he had lost his reputation, which did not trouble him, but he took very good care of the child. He obtained milk from his neighbours and everything else he needed.

A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth - the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fishmarket.

The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the child back.

Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said was: "Is that so?"

A Letter to a Dying Man

Bassui wrote the following letter to one of his disciples who was about to die:

"The essence of your mind is not born, so it will never die. It is not an existence, which is perishable. It is not an emptiness, which is a mere void. It has neither color nor form. It enjoys no pleasures and suffers no pains.

"I know you are very ill. Like a good Zen student, you are facing that sickness squarely. You may not know exactly who is suffering, but question yourself: What is the essence of this mind? Think only of this. You will need no more. Covet nothing. Your end which is endless is as a snowflake dissolving in the pure air."

No Work, No Food

Hyakujo, the Chinese Zen master, used to labor with his pupils even at the age of eighty, trimming the gardens, cleaning the grounds, and pruning the trees.

The pupils felt sorry to see the old teacher working so hard, but they knew he would not listen to their advice to stop, so they hid away his tools.

That day the master did not eat. The next day he did not eat, nor the next. "He may be angry because we have hidden his tools," the pupils surmised. "We had better put them back."

The day they did, the teacher worked and ate the same as before. In the evening he instructed them: "No work, no food."

One Note of Zen

After Kakua visited the emperor he disappeared and no one knew what became of him. He was the first Japanese to study Zen in China, but since he showed nothing of it, save one note, he is not remembered for having brought Zen into his country.

Kakua visited China and accepted the true teaching. He did not travel while he was there. Meditating constantly, he lived on a remote part of a mountain. Whenever people found him and asked him to preach he would say a few words and then move to another part of the mountain where he could be found less easily.

The emperor heard about Kakua when he returned to Japan and asked him to preach Zen for his edification and that of his subjects.

Kakua stood before the emperor in silence. He then produced a flute from the folds of his robe, and blew one short note. Bowing politely, he disappeared.

Muddy Road

Tanzan and Ekido were once traveling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was still falling.

Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection.

"Come on, girl" said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.

Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Then he no longer could restrain himself. "We monks don't go near females," he told Tanzan, "especially not young and lovely ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do that?"

"I left the girl there," said Tanzan. "Are you still carrying her?"

Time to Die

Ikkyu, the Zen master, was very clever even as a boy. His teacher had a precious teacup, a rare antique. Ikkyu happened to break this cup and was greatly perplexed. Hearing the footsteps of his teacher, he held the pieces of the cup behind him. When the master appeared, Ikkyu asked: "Why do people have to die?"

"This is natural," explained the older man. "Everything has to die and has just so long to live."

Ikkyu, producing the shattered cup, added: "It was time for your cup to die."

The Most Valuable Thing in the World

Sozan, a Chinese Zen master, was asked by a student: "What is the most valuable thing in the world?"

The master replied: "The head of a dead cat."

"Why is the head of a dead cat the most valuable thing in the world?" inquired the student.

Sozan replied: "Because no one can name its price."

Obedience

The master Bankei's talks were attended not only by Zen students but by persons of all ranks and sects. He never quoted sutras not indulged in scholastic dissertations. Instead, his words were spoken directly from his heart to the hearts of his listeners.

His large audience angered a priest of the Nichiren sect because the adherents had left to hear about Zen. The self-centered Nichiren priest came to the temple, determined to have a debate with Bankei.

"Hey, Zen teacher!" he called out. "Wait a minute. Whoever respects you will obey what you say, but a man like myself does not respect you. Can you make me obey you?"

"Come up beside me and I will show you," said Bankei.

Proudly the priest pushed his way through the crowd to the teacher.

Bankei smiled. "Come over to my left side."

The priest obeyed.

"No," said Bankei, "we may talk better if you are on the right side. Step over here."

The priest proudly stepped over to the right.

"You see," observed Bankei, "you are obeying me and I think you are a very gentle person. Now sit down and listen."

Temper

A Zen student came to Bankei and complained: "Master, I have an ungovernable temper. How can I cure it?"

"You have something very strange," replied Bankei. "Let me see what you have."

"Just now I cannot show it to you," replied the other.

"When can you show it to me?" asked Bankei.

"It arises unexpectedly," replied the student.

"Then," concluded Bankei, "it must not be your own true nature. If it were, you could show it to me at any time. When you were born you did not have it, and your parents did not give it to you. Think that over."

The Stone Mind

Hogen, a Chinese Zen teacher, lived alone in a small temple in the country. One day four traveling monks appeared and asked if they might make a fire in his yard to warm themselves.

While they were building the fire, Hogen heard them arguing about subjectivity and objectivity. He joined them and said: "There is a big stone. Do you consider it to be inside or outside your mind?"

One of the monks replied: "From the Buddhist viewpoint everything is an objectification of mind, so I would say that the stone is inside my mind."

"Your head must feel very heavy," observed Hogen, "if you are carrying around a stone like that in your mind."

Nothing Exists

Yamaoka Tesshu, as a young student of Zen, visited one master after another. He called upon Dokuon of Shokoku.

Desiring to show his attainment, he said: "The mind, Buddha, and sentient beings, after all, do not exist. The true nature of phenomena is emptiness. There is no relaization, no delusion, no sage, no mediocrity. There is no giving and nothing to be received."

Dokuon, who was smoking quietly, said nothing. Suddenly he whacked Yamaoka with his bamboo pipe. This made the youth quite angry.

"If nothing exists," inquired Dokuon, "where did this anger come from?"

The True Path

Just before Ninakawa passed away the Zen master Ikkyu visited him. "Shall I lead you on?" Ikkyu asked.

 

Ninakawa replied: "I came here alone and I go alone. What help could you be to me?"

 

Ikkyu answered: "If you think you really come and go, that is your delusion. Let me show you the path on which there is no coming and no going."

 

With his words, Ikkyu had revealed the path so clearly that Ninakawa smilled and passed away.

 

 

The GIFT

Whenever they reaped their first harvest, they brought early, fresh fruits to the Prophet (S.A.W.), peace be upon him. Then he would distribute them among those who sat around him. This morning, a poor man brought one fruit from his small farm and gave it to the Prophet (S.A.W.).

 

He accepted the gift, tasted it and then went on eating it alone while the companions watched. One of those present meekly said: O Prophet of Allah, you have over looked the right of those who watch while you eat?

 

The Prophet (S.A.W.) smiled and waited till the man who had brought the fruit had gone. He said:

 

I tasted the fruit and it was not yet ripe. Had I allowed you to have some of it, someone would have definitely shown his distaste, thus disappointing the poor man who had brought the gift. Rather than make him feel better, my palate accepted the bitterness.

TYING the CAMEL

The caravan had been traveling for few hours now. Signs of fatigue were obvious on their faces. They arrived at a point and stopped. The Prophet (S.A.W.) who was also in the caravan, stopped the camel, and landed. Prior to anything, they were in search of water to prepare for prayer.

 

The Prophet (S.A.W.) also started searching for water. But soon, returned to his camel, without saying anything to anyone. The companions were surprised that the Prophet (S.A.W.) had ordered stopping here, and now perhaps he would like to move again? Eyes and ears were awaiting his order. But the surprise of the group increased as they saw him approach his camel, and tied its knees, and returned back in search of water.

 

Noises were raised from every corner: " O Prophet of Allah! Why didn't you order us to do this for you, and instead you put yourself in discomfort? We would have proudly done that service for you."

 

The Prophet (S.A.W.) responded: "Never seek others' help in your affairs, don't lean on others, even if it is a small piece of Miswak (the wood used for brushing teeth)."

Knowledge and Wealth

It is related that once ten learned men approached Imam Ali (pbuh), and wanted to know how knowledge was better than wealth. They requested that each one of them be given a separate answer. Imam Ali (pbuh) answered them as follows:

1. Knowledge is the legacy of the Prophets; wealth is the inheritance of the Pharaohs. As the Prophets are superior to the Pharaohs, so knowledge is better than wealth.

2. You have to guard your wealth, but knowledge guards you. Therefore, knowledge is better than wealth.

3. When knowledge is distributed it increases. When wealth is distributed it decreases. As such knowledge is better than wealth.

4. A man of wealth has many enemies, while a man of knowledge has many friends. Therefore knowledge is better than wealth.

5. A learned man because of his wider outlook is apt to be generous while a rich man because of his love for money is apt to be miserly. As such knowledge is better than wealth.

6. Knowledge cannot be stolen, while wealth is constantly exposed to the danger of being stolen. Accordingly knowledge is better than wealth.

7. With the lapse of time, knowledge gains in depth and dimensions. Hoarded coins get rusty, or cease to be legal tender. Therefore knowledge is better than wealth.

8. You can keep account of wealth because it is limited, but you cannot keep account of knowledge because it is boundless. That is why knowledge is better than wealth.

9. Knowledge illuminates the mind, while wealth is apt to blacken it. Therefore knowledge is better than wealth.

10. Knowledge is better than wealth, because knowledge induced the humanity in the Holy Prophet to say to God "We worship Thee as we are Thine servants", while wealth engendered in Pharaoh and Nimrod the vanity which made them claim Godhead.

A Zen Parable

A Zen parable tells about a monk who was walking along a thousand-foot cliff when he encountered a ferocious tiger. Acting quickly, the monk grabbed hold of a thin vine, swung himself off the cliff, and slid down a dozen feet. Dangling high above the dark and jagged rocks below, the monk looked up to see the snarling tiger poised hungrily at the edge of the cliff. Then the monk felt a strange vibration in his hands. Looking up, he saw a mouse chewing the vine. The monk looked at the hungry tiger, then at the waiting rocks below, then back at the mouse. He shook the vine, but the mouse kept on chewing. Then the monk noticed a small plant growing out of a crevice in the cliff. On the plant was one large, luscious red strawberry. The monk reached out a hand and picked it. Then he placed the fruit in his mouth, savoring its wonderful sweetness.

 

This parable beautifully illustrates the options available to us when we encounter adversity. First, we should take every possible action to improve our external conditions: The monk slid down the vine to escape the tiger; next he shook the vine to scare off the chewing mouse. In short, he did what he could to better his outer circumstances.

 

Sometimes, however, we can do nothing more to improve our external conditions. At that point, many people sink into despair. But we have another choice. Even in the midst of overwhelming adversity, we can choose the content of our consciousness. We can choose what we will think about: When a hungry tiger waits above and deadly rocks wait below, and a hungry mouse is chewing on our vine, we can still focus our attention on a delicious strawberry.

 

Cognitive psychologists suggest that our thoughts about an experience determine how we feel about it. If I think, I’m being treated unfairly, I’ll create the inner experience of anger. If I think, I’m in danger, I’ll create the inner experience of fear. If I think, I have lost someone dear to me, I’ll create the inner experience of sadness.

 

What is actually happening in the outer world, then, is less important than what I tell myself is happening. If I change my thoughts about an event, I will change my emotional state of mind. In other words, what I think about a problem is the problem.

 

This view suggests a fascinating possibility. What if happiness is a choice? What if many of your negative experiences in life are simply the result of self-defeating thought patterns and limiting beliefs? What if you could create a more positive experience of life simply by choosing to think about events in a different, more positive way?

 

When you have done all you can to deal with life’s challenges-the hungry tigers, deadly rocks, and gnawing mice-you still can choose your attitude.

Because I'm Here

An old monk was sweeping the yard in a monastery under the scorching sun.

 

Another monk passed by and asked him, "How old are you?"

 

The old monk replied, "I'm seventy-seven."

 

"You are so old! Why are you still working so hard here?"

 

"Well, because I'm here."

 

"But why are you working under the scorching sun?"

 

"Because the sun is there."

 

[Act without worrying about the results, and strive for excellence without dwelling on it. If we put all of our hearts into what we do without complaining, we can become one with the "Way."]

Miraculous Power

In Buddhism, it is recognized that supernatural or miraculous power is possible and can be attained through training. However, Buddha Sakyamuni discouraged all display of miraculous power as the proof of of spiritual attainment. The following story illustrates the Buddha's attitude towards miraculous powers.

 

One day the Buddha was waiting by the river bank for a boat to ferry him across the river. An ascetic passed by and proudly showed off his miraculous power, crossing the river back and forth by treading over the water.

 

The Buddha smiled and asked him, "How long did you train to attain such power?"

 

"It took me thirty years!", said the ascetic.

 

The Buddha replied, "Thirty years? Well, I can cross the river using the boat for only one penny!"

 

If a wicked man can become a pure religious man, this according to Buddhism, is a practical miracle.

Yajnadatta, the Mad Man

"The Shurangama Sutra relates the story of Yajnadatta, the mad man of Shravasti, who one day looked in the mirror and noticed that the person reflected in it had a head. At that point, he lost his reason and said, 'How come that person has a head and I don't? Where has my head gone?' He then ran wildly through the streets asking everyone he met, 'Have you seen my head? Where has it gone?' He accosted everyone he met, yet no one knew what he was doing. 'He already has a head,' they said. 'What's he looking for another one for?'

 

There are a lot of people just like poor Yajnadatta."

I Am Awake

When the Buddha started to wander around India shortly after his enlightenment, he encountered several men who recognized him to be a very extraordinary being.

 

They asked him, "Are you a god?"  "No," he replied.

 

"Are you a reincarnation of god?"    "No," he replied.

 

"Are you a wizard, then?"   "No."

 

"Well, are you a man?"   "No."

 

"So what are you?" they asked, being very perplexed.

 

"I am awake."

 

Buddha means "The Awakened One". How to awaken is all he taught.

The Old Man and the Scorpion

One morning, after he had finished his meditation, the old man opened his eyes and saw a scorpion floating helplessly in
the water. As the scorpion was washed closer to the tree, the old man quickly stretched himself out on one of the long
roots that branched out into the river and reached out to rescue the drowning creature. As soon as he touched it, the
scorpion stung him. Instinctively the man withdrew his hand. A minute later, after he had regained his balance, he
stretched himself out again on the roots to save the scorpion. This time the scorpion stung him so badly with its
poisonous tail that his hand became swollen and bloody and his face contorted with pain.

 

At that moment, a passerby saw the old man stretched out on the roots struggling with the scorpion and shouted: "Hey,
stupid old man, what's wrong with you? Only a fool would risk his life for the sake of an ugly, evil creature. Don't you
know you could kill yourself trying to save that ungrateful scorpion?"

 

The old man turned his head. Looking into the stranger's eyes he said calmly, "My friend, just because it is the scorpion's
nature to sting, that does not change my nature to save."

Milarepa's Last Testament as told by Lama Surya Das

After the enlightened cave-yogi and songmaster Milarepa left this world, a scrap of rice paper was found inscribed with his handwriting. His ascetic followers were astounded, for it stated that beneath a nearby boulder was buried all the gold that ascetic Mila had hoarded during his life.

 

A few eager disciples dug around and under that large rock. In the earth they discovered a ragged cloth bundle. Opening the knotted bundle with shaking hands, they discovered only a lump of dried shit.

 

There was another scribbled note as well. It said: "If you understand my teaching so little that you actually believed I ever valued or hoarded gold, you are truly heirs to my shit."

 

The note was signed "The Laughing Vajra, Milarepa."

What Did Bodhidharma Bring When He Came From the West?

There was a monk who asked his master, "What did Bodhidharma bring when he came from the West?"

 

The master replied, "He didn't bring anything."

 

The monk insisted, "Didn't Bodhidharma bring Buddhadharma, the teaching of Buddha, from the West?"

 

The master replied, "No, not really. Buddhadharma has always been in China."

 

The monk was puzzled, "Well, that's strange then. If Buddhadharma was already here, why did Bodhidharma bother coming to China?"

 

The master replied, "Because Buddhadharma was already here, it is for that reason that Bodhidharma had to leave India and come here."

Eat When You're Hungry

Someone asked a Zen Master, "How do you practice Zen?"

 

The master said, "When you are hungry, eat; when you are tired, sleep."

 

"Isn't that what everyone does anyway?"

 

The master replied, "No, No. Most people entertains a thousand desires when they eat and scheme over a thousand plans when they sleep."

Carrying and Leaving

Once upon a time, there were two monks who went on a pilgrimage across the country together. One day, they came to  a river bank and saw a beautiful girl who was unable to cross the river.

 

Seeing her difficulty, the elder monk volunteered to carry her across the river on his back while the younger one looked on in consternation.

 

When the sun went down, the monks came upon a dilapidated shack and decided to stay there for the night. The elder monk quickly fell asleep while the younger one twisted around, unable to calm his mind. Finally, he woke up the elder monk and reprimanded him for what happened during the day, "As monks, we are supposed to keep away from women. I am really ashamed and troubled by what you did today!"

 

The elder monk looked at his friend and a smile broke up on his face, "Oh, so that has been bothering you! Brother, I have left the girl behind by the river bank, why are you still carrying her around?"

Rainy Day, Sunny Day

(A story from the scripture, as told by Venerable Master Hsing Yun)

 

There was once an old lady who cried all the time. Her elder daughter was married to an umbrella merchant while the younger daughter was the wife of a noodle vendor. On sunny days, she worried, "Oh no! The weather is so nice and sunny. No one is going to buy any umbrellas. What will happen if the shop has to be closed?" These worries made her sad. She just could not help but cry. When it rained, she would cry for the younger daughter. She thought, "Oh no! My younger daughter is married to a noodle vendor. You cannot dry noodles without the sun. Now there will be no noodles to sell. What should we do?" As a result, the old lady lived in sorrow everyday. Whether sunny or rainy, she grieved for one of her daughters. Her neighbors could not console her and jokingly called her "the crying lady."

 

One day, she met a monk. He was very curious as to why she was always crying. She explained the problem to him. The monk smiled kindly and said, "Madam! You need not worry. I will show you a way to happiness, and you will need to grieve no more."

 

The crying lady was very excited. She immediately asked the monk to show her what to do. The master replied, "It is very simple. You just need to change your perspective. On sunny days, do not think of your elder daughter not being able to sell umbrellas but the younger daughter being able to dry her noodles. With such good strong sunlight, she must be able to make plenty of noodles and her business must be very good. When it rains, think about the umbrella store of the elder daughter. With the rain, everyone must be buying umbrellas. She will sell a lot of umbrellas and her store will prosper."

 

The old lady saw the light. She followed the monkís instruction. After a while, she did not cry anymore; instead, she was smiling everyday. From that day on she was known as "the smiling lady."

Easier Known Than Done

One day, the famous poet Bai Ju-Yi (Po Chu-I) asked Master Niao-Wo, "What is the essence of the Buddha's teaching?"

 

Master Niao-Wo said, "Refrain from all unwholesome deeds and perform all wholesome deeds."

 

Bai chuckled, "Ha! Even a child knows that."

 

The master replied, "A child may know it, but not even a one-hundred-year-old can do it."

Eight Earthly Winds

There was a well-known scholar who practiced Buddhism and befriended a chan master. Thinking that he had made great stride in his cultivation, he wrote a poem and asked his attendant to deliver it to the master who lived across the river. The master opened the letter and read the short poem aloud:

 

"Unmoved by the eight worldly winds, [1]
  Serenely I sit on the purplish gold terrace."

A smile broke up on the lips of the master. Picking up an ink brush, he scribbled the word "fart" across the letter and asked that it be delivered back to the scholar.

 

The scholar was upset and went across the river right away to reprimand the master for being rude. The master laughed as he said, "You said you are no longer moved by the eight worldly winds and yet with just one 'fart', you ran across the river like a rat!"

 

[1] Eight worldly winds/concerns: Gain and loss, honor and disgrace, praise and blame, happiness and pain.
 

The Way

A person asking Ch'an Master Wei K'uan, "Where is the Way?"

 

"Right before your eyes."

 

"Why do I not see it?"

 

"You do not see it because you have [the notion of] a self."

 

"Because I have [the notion of] a self, I do not see it. Has the Master seen it?"

 

"[The notion of] 'you,' in addition to [the notion of] a self, further keeps you from seeing."

 

"If there is neither [the notion of] 'you' nor [the notion of] a self, can it be seen?"

 

"If there is neither 'you' nor 'a self,' then who wants to see it?"

Beginner's Mind

Once, a professor went to a Zen Master. He asked him to explain the meaning of Zen. The Master quietly poured a cup of tea. The cup was full but he continued to pour.

 

The professor could not stand this any longer, so he questioned the Master impatiently, "Why do you keep pouring when the cup is full?"

 

"I want to point out to you," the Master said, "that you are similarly attempting to understand Zen while your mind is full. First, empty your mind of preconceptions before you attempt to understand Zen."

 

"If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few."--Suzuki Roshi

Releasing the Cows - as told by Master Thich Nhat Hanh

One day the Buddha was sitting in the wood with thirty or forty monks. They had an excellent lunch and they were enjoying the company of each other. There was a farmer passing by and the farmer was very unhappy. He asked the Buddha and the monks whether they had seen his cows passing by. The Buddha said they had not seen any cows passing by.

 

The farmer said, "Monks, I'm so unhappy. I have twelve cows and I don't know why they all ran away. I have also a few acres of a sesame seed plantation and the insects have eaten up everything. I suffer so much I think I am going to kill myself.

 

The Buddha said, "My friend, we have not seen any cows passing by here. You might like to look for them in the other direction."

 

So the farmer thanked him and ran away, and the Buddha turned to his monks and said, "My dear friends, you are the happiest people in the world. You don't have any cows to lose. If you have too many cows to take care of, you will be very busy.

 

"That is why, in order to be happy, you have to learn the art of cow releasing (laughter). You release the cows one by one. In the beginning you thought that those cows were essential to your happiness, and you tried to get more and more cows. But now you realize that cows are not really conditions for your happiness; they constitute an obstacle for your happiness. That is why you are determined to release your cows."

 

 

I do not know death

I have no idea what death is ? I have not seen a dead man yet, I have seen a dead body only, I have not died yet, I have not experienced death so far, I shall know death only when it comes to me, but if I know death when it comes to me, then 'I' cannot have died. What is this paradox ? Is there a paradox ?

Realization -in the words of Ramana Maharishi

Realization is nothing to be gained a fresh; it is already there. All that is necessary is to get rid of the thought "I have not realized".

 

Realization is not acquisition of anything new nor is it a new faculty. It is only removal of all camouflage. The wrong knowledge is the false identification of the self with the body and the limited mind.

 

"If the mind is happy, not only the body but the whole world will be happy."

 

The State of Self-Realization is not attaining something new, or reaching some goal which is far away, but simply being that which you have always been. All that is needed is that you give up your realization of the "NOT TRUE" as true. All of us are regarding as real that which is not real. We have only to give up this practice on our part.

 

The ultimate truth is so simple. It is nothing more than being in the pristine state. This is all that need be said.

 

When you pray for God's grace you are like some one standing neck-deep in water and yet crying for the water.

 

The reality which shines fully, without misery, and without a body, not only when the world is known but also when the world is not known is your real form.

 

There is only one state, that of consciousness or awareness or existence. The three states of waking dream and sleep cannot be real. They simply come and go. The real will always exist.

 

The ego self (separate self) does not exist at all. The ego self appears and disappears and is transitory whereas the real Self is permanent. Though you are actually the true Self you wrongly identify the real Self with the ego self.

 

There is no goal to be reached. There is nothing to be attained. You are the Self. You exist always. Nothing more can be predicated of the Self than that it exists.

 

Seeing God or the Self is only being the Self or yourself. seeing is being. you being the Self, want to know how to attain the Self. It is something like a man being at Ramana's ashram asking how many ways there are to reach Ramana's ashram and which is the best way for him. All that is required of you is to give up the thought that you are this body and to give up all thoughts of the external things or the not-self.

 

Reality is simply the loss of ego. Destroy the ego by seeking its identity Because the ego is no entity it will automatically vanish and reality will shine forth of itself. This is the direct method, whereas all other methods are done only be retaining the ego. in those paths there arise so many doubts and the eternal question: "Who am I?" remains to be tackled finally. But in this method the final question is the only one and it is raised from the beginning. No sadhanas (spiritual practice) are necessary for engaging in this quest.

 

There is no greater mystery than this - that being the reality we seek to gain reality. We think that there is something hiding our reality and that it must be destroyed before reality is gained. It is ridiculous. A day will dawn when you will yourself laugh at your past efforts. That which will be on the day you laugh is also here and now.
 

Who am I ? -in the words of Ramana Maharishi

1. Who am I?

The gross body which is composed of the seven humours (dhatus), I am not; the five cognitive sense-organs, viz, the senses of hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell, which apprehend their respective objects, viz sound, touch, colour, taste, and odour, I am not; the five cognitive sense-organs, viz the organs of speech, locomotion, grasping, excretion, and procreation, which have their respective functions speaking, moving, grasping, excreting and enjoying, I am not; the five vital airs, prana, etc., which perform respectively the five functions of in-breathing, etc., I am not; even the mind which thinks, I am not; the nescience too, which is endowed only with the residual impressions of objects, and in which there are no objects and no functioning, I am not.

 

2. If I am none of these, then who am I?

After negating all of the above-mentioned as "not this'', "not this'', that Awareness which alone remains - that I am.

 

3. What is the nature of this Awareness?

The nature of Awareness is existence-consciousness-bliss.

 

4. When will the realization of the Self be gained?

When the world which is what-is-seen has been removed, there will be realization of the Self which is the seer.

 

5. Will there not be realization of the Self even while the world is there (taken as real)?

There will not be.

 

6. Why?

The seer and the object seen are like the rope and the snake. Just as the knowledge of the rope which is the substrate will not arise unless the false knowledge of the illusory serpent goes, so the realization of the Self which is the substrate will not be gained unless the belief that the world is real is removed.

 

7. When will the world which is the object seen, be removed?

When the mind, which is the cause of all cognition and all actions becomes quiescent, the world will disappear.

 

8. What is the nature of the mind?

What is called "mind'' is a wondrous power residing in the Self. It causes all thoughts to arise. Apart from thoughts, there is no such thing as mind. Therefore, thought is the nature of mind. Apart from thoughts, there is no independent entity called the world. In deep sleep there are no thoughts, and there is no world. In the states of waking and dream, there are thoughts, and there is a world also. Just as the spider emits the thread (of the web) out of itself and again withdraws it into itself, likewise the mind projects the world out of itself and again resolves it into itself. When the mind comes out of the Self, the world appears. Therefore, when the world appears (to be real), the Self does not appear, and when the Self appears (shines) the world does not appear. When one persistently inquires into the nature of the mind, the mind will end leaving the Self (as the residue). What is referred to as the Self is the Atman. The mind always exists only in dependence on something gross, it cannot stay alone. It is the mind that is called the subtle body or the soul (jiva).

 

9. What is the path of inquiry for understanding the nature of the mind?

That which rises as "I'' in this body is the mind. If one inquires as to where in the body the thought "I'' rises first, one would discover that it rises in the heart. That is the place of the mind's origin. Even if one thinks constantly "I-I'', one will be led to that place. Of all the thoughts that arise in the mind, the "I'' thought is the first. It is only after the rise of this that the other thoughts arise. It is after the appearance of the first personal pronoun that the second and third personal pronouns appear; without the first personal pronoun there will not be the second and the third.

 

10. How will the mind become quiescent?

By the enquiry "Who am I?''. The thought "Who am I?'' will destroy all other thoughts, and, like the stick used for stirring the burning pyre, it will itself in the end get destroyed. Then, there will arise Self-realization.

 

13.The residual impressions (thoughts) of objects appear unending like the waves of an ocean. When will all of them get destroyed?

As the meditation on the Self rises higher and higher, the thoughts will get destroyed.

 

20. Is it not possible for God and the Guru to effect the release of a soul?

God and the Guru will only show the way to release; they will not by themselves take the soul to the state of release.
In truth, God and the Guru are not different. Just as the prey which has fallen into the jaws of the tiger has no escape, so those who have come within the gambit of the Guru's gracious look will be saved by the Guru and will not get lost; yet each one should by his own effort pursue the path shown by God or Guru and gain release. One can know oneself only with one's own eye of knowledge, and not with somebody else's. Does he who is Rama require the help of a mirror to know that he is Rama?

Practice and more practice

One day, Po Chü-I (a famous poet and official of the T'ang Dynasty), passing along a road, saw a Zen monk seated on a tree branch preaching the Dharma. The dialogue below ensued:

Po Chü-I: "Old man, what are you doing in that tree, in such a precarious position? One misstep, and you will fall to your death!"

Monk: "I dare say, Your Lordship, that your own position is even more precarious. If I make a misstep, I alone may be killed; if you, as a high official, make a misstep, it can cost the lives of thousands."

Po Chü-I: "Not a bad reply. I'll tell you what. If you can explain the essence of Buddhism to me in one sentence, I'll become your disciple. Otherwise, we will go our separate ways, never to meet again."

Monk: "What an easy question! Listen! The essence of Buddhism is to do no evil, do what is good, and keep your Mind pure."

Po Chü-I: "Is that all there is to it? Even a child of three realizes that!"

Monk: "True, a child of three may realize it, but it is not sure that a man of eighty can practice it!"
 

Let anger flow like water under the bridge

"The Buddha taught that there are three types of persons, depending on their karmic afflictions of anger and frustrations. First are those whose level of frustration is particularly high, making life miserable for themselves and others. Their minds can be compared to words etched on stone. The second mind-set, with a lower level of frustration, can be compared to words written on soil. The third type is like words written on water. Persons in this last group generally holds few grudges and do not look to settle accounts. Their anger and frustration are dissipated as rapidly as the river that flows under a bridge. Let us try to emulate this third group and let our resentment, frustration and anger flow away. The world would be a happier, safer place, with fewer personal confrontations, fewer ethnic conflicts, fewer wars."

A Flower, a Rock wall, a Shout

"When Sakyamuni Buddha was at Vulture Peak, he held out a flower to his listeners. Everyone was silent. Only Kasyapa the Great broke into a broad smile. The Buddha said, 'I have the True Dharma Eye, the Marvelous Mind of Nirvana, the True Form of the Formless, and the Subtle Dharma Gate, independent of words and transmitted beyond doctrine. This I have entrusted to Kasyapa the Great.'" Mumonkan 6 .
"This is how Zen began. And this is how it was transmitted: with a flower, with a rock wall, with a shout. This approach, once it was made known by Bodhidharma and his successors, revolutionized the understanding and practice of Buddhism in China." Red Pine: xvi
 

As you are so is the world

Lord Krishna wanted to test the wisdom of his kings. One day he summoned a king called Duryodana. Duryodana was well known throughout the land for his cruelty and miserliness, and his subjects lived in terror.

 

Lord Krishna said to King Duryodana, "I want you to go and travel the world over and find for me one truly good man."

Duryodana replied, "Yes, Lord," and obediently began his search.

 

He met and spoke with many people, and after much time had passed he returned to Lord Krishna saying, "Lord, I have done as you have asked and searched the world over for one truly good man. He is not to be found. All of them are selfish and wicked. Nowhere is there to be found this good man you seek!"

 

Lord Krishna sent him away and called another king called Dhammaraja. He was a king well known for his generosity and benevolence and well loved by all his people.

Krishna said to him, "King Dhammaraja, I wish for you to travel the world over and bring to me one truly wicked man." Dhammaraja also obeyed, and on his travels met and spoke with many people.

 

After much time had passed he returned to Krishna saying, "Lord, I have failed you. There are people who are misguided, people who are misled, people who act in blindness but nowhere could I find one truly evil man. They are all good at heart despite their failings!"

Mind - The wind is not moving

"Once when the wind was whipping the banner of a temple, the Sixth Patriarch of Zen witnessed two monks debating about it. One said the banner was moving, one said the wind was moving. They argued back and forth without attaining the principle, so the Patriarch said, 'This is not the movement of the wind, nor the movement of the banner; it is the movement of your minds.'The two monks were both awestruck."

Fleeting Pleasures

Buddha Sakyamuni compared sentient beings chasing after the fleeting pleasures of this world to a child licking honey off a sharp knife. There is no way they can avoid hurting themselves and ultimately others as well.

The greatest Good and the greatest Bad reside side by side within Us.

Two more days to Mount Wu-Tai

Long ago, in T'ang China, there was an old monk going on a pilgrimage to Mount Wu-t'ai, the abode of Manjusri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom. Aged and weak, he was treading the long dusty road alone, seeking alms along the way. After many long months, one morning he gazed upward and saw the majestic mountain in the distance.

By the roadside, there was an old woman working the field. "Please tell me," he asked, "how much longer I must proceed before reaching Mount Wu-t'ai?" The woman just looked at him, uttered a guttural sound and returned to her hoeing. He repeated the question a second and third time, but still there was no answer. Thinking that the woman must be deaf, he decided to push on.

After he had taken a few dozen steps, he heard the woman call out to him, "Two more days, it will take you two more days." Somewhat annoyed, the monk responded, "I thought you were deaf. Why didn't you answer my question earlier?"

The woman replied, "You asked the question while you were standing put, Master. I had to see how fast your pace was, how determined your walk!"

Sacrifice of the Lamb

Just as the Prophet, and his companions landed from their rides, and laid the loads down, it was decided that they would sacrifice a lamb for dinner.

One of the companions volunteered: "I will sacrifice the lamb."

Another: "I will skin it."

Third: "I will cook it."

Fourth: " I will...."

The Prophet : "I will gather the wood from the desert."

The group: "O Messenger of Allah, it is not becoming of you to discomfort yourself as such. You rest. We will be honored to do all this on our own."

The Prophet : "I know that you are eager to do it all, but Allah isn't pleased with the slave who distinguishes between himself and his companions, and considers himself better than others."

Then he went to the desert, and gathered some wood, and brought it to the group.

Lily

Jesus plucked the beautiful lily, and placed it in the hands of children and youth;  and as they looked into His own youthful face, fresh with the sunlight of His Father's countenance,  He gave the lesson,  "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow  [ in the simplicity of natural beauty ]; they toil not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

Lamp of a Buddha

"King Ajatasatru invited the Buddha to preach and offered as a token of his piety several tens of thousands of lamps.

At the time, an old woman (named Nanda) who had been begging, and had only managed to collect two coins, bought some oil with them and offered it all in a small lamp to the Buddha.  [With this offering she vowed to eliminate the darkness of the sufferings of all people.]  Old and hungry, she later collapsed and died. By the next morning the many lamps offered by the king had already burned themselves out, but the lamp of the poor old woman was still burning with increasing brilliance. When it proved impossible to extinguish it, the Buddha explained that it was so because of the donor's extremely fervent faith and transcendental vow.

'The light of a Buddha can never be extinguished' said the Lord who then predicted that she would attain Buddhahood." Dait: 117

The Bird is Mine

"It is recorded in the Mahabhinishkramana that Devadatta, the cousin of Prince Siddhartha, took a bow and arrow and shot down a swan. The creature was grounded but not killed. The future Buddha took the bird upon his knees and comforted it. Devadatta was sent to claim his prize, no doubt intending to kill it, but the Buddha refused to hand over the swan, saying that the bird was his:

'Then Lord Buddha,
Laid the swan's neck beside his own smooth cheek
And gravely spoke, "Say no! the bird is mine,
The first of myriad things that shall be mine
By right of mercy and love's lordliness...'" (The Light of Asia by Sir Edwin Arnold)
Shantideva: 209-210

The Compassionate Novice

In a time long past, there was an old monk who, through diligent practice, had attained a certain degree of spiritual penetration.

"He had a young novice who was about eight years old. One day the monk looked at the boy's face and saw there that he would die within the next few months. Saddened by this, he told the boy to take a long holiday and go and visit his parents. 'Take your time,' said the monk. 'Don't hurry back.' For he felt the boy should be with his family when he died. Three months later, to his astonishment, the monk saw the boy walking back up the mountain. When he arrived he looked intently at his face and saw that they boy would now live to a ripe old age. 'Tell me everything that happened while you were away,' said the monk. So the boy started to tell of his journey down from the mountain. He told of villages and towns he passed through, of rivers forded and mountains climbed. Then he told how one day he came upon a stream in flood. He noticed, as he tried to pick his way across the flowing stream, that a colony of ants had become trapped on a small island formed by the flooding stream. Moved by compassion for these poor creatures, he took a branch of a tree and laid it across one flow of the stream until it touched the little island. As the ants made their way across, the boy held the branch steady, until he was sure all the ants had escaped to dry land. Then he went on his way. 'So,' thought the old monk to himself, 'that is why the gods have lengthened his days.'